Planning is a very crucial process in land use. It allows the citizens of a country and its leaders to enjoy an environment that is suitable and makes procedural activities smoother. It makes communities live-able; for instance, since the industrial areas are separated from the residential areas. It makes the future foreseeable. In an urban society, city governments had to gain control of the location of industries, commerce, and housing hence urban planning departments in the local authority came up. Concerns about the environment and historic preservation also initiated these departments for further regulation of land use in the local councils. Municipal land-use regulation begins with a planning process followed by ordinances. These ordinances involve the exercise of the municipality's Police Power through zoning, regulation of subdivision developments, street plans, plans for public facilities, and building regulations
The process of urban planning, mentioned above, has many key players who influence the process. According to the article, the local governments, although may be seen to make the decisions in urban planning, there are many other participants whose moves may shift or impose the decisions. The local governments are there since they are authorized by the constitution to do. The city, municipal or county councils regulate and have authority over land use. Zoning ordinances, general plans are drawn up by the local authority. Building permits, other developmental approvals and environmental reviews are handled by the local council. Such many processes by the local authority can convince just about anyone that every detail about the land and land use is determined and is as a result of the decisions by the local planning officials. However, every player in the government, from all departments and arms of the government, for instance, justice, legislature and government agencies have a say in the planning at the basic levels of local authorities such as the county council.
The government very much affects the planning process of the county councils. The government is the only institution with the scope and economic ability to make foundational changes in the land use planning industry. A number of restrictions on land are a result of actions by government units. Government and judicial bodies usually attempt to make land-use policies responsive to emerging concerns and developing need. The Congress, although does not make land-use policies, has made several environmental laws that also affect the land use at the local authority level. The Legislature also plays a more direct role in land-use planning as they create laws that govern land use for example, ‘The Community Redevelopment Law’ in California in 1950. The Legislature also makes a law and reviews the ones in place every year either for the greater good of the people or in the process of political battles and maneuvers. Litigation through the courts also affects land use. In land use disputes, litigation is used as a way of regulating private property and is the only way the local government is held accountable to the law. Although the congress sets the rules, state and federal agencies affect land use planning more because they regulate the activities of the private land owners and the local authorities, manage vast amounts of land, construct roads and other infrastructure and provide funding for the local authorities. Federal agencies also have the authority to block land use or cause evictions if it’s an effort to save endangered species or wetlands.
The private sector also affects the land planning process and the land planning final product in a significant way; for instance, the private developers only propose a site for a building if they are sure that it is attractive to the market i.e. the purchasers. Cities are created by the public so as to offer services such as social amenities to the people. Therefore, there is also the public scrutiny by the people who may want to know why land may have been distributed for the way it has. Also the complexity of urban problems and the growth of urban areas place constant tension on the land-use planning process.
The fact that the local government is influenced by other institutions above and below them is very illuminating to me as a citizen of California. There was a time immediately after getting a green card to the United States, we really had a hard time get a title deed to a piece of land that had been previously owned by the government. My father made very many trips to the city council offices, to get the deed which he was denied countless times. It makes more sense now to me because different people could have been pulling other strings on the property against a poor immigrant that was my father. Since formerly government land is the easiest to possess as it has been somehow disposed or offered out. We really took it out on the local council for allegedly trying to steal a piece of land we had paid for. It has just struck me that the city council officials might have actually stuck up for us; for us to get the land under my father’s name. Looking back, this article is very eye opening and can change a lot in the way home owners deal with the local authority. This has really changed my view on urban planning and I now have an open mind when tackling urban planning.
This information, really contradicts the ‘common knowledge’ by the people that all land use planning is done by the local authority. It is very easy for people to put blame on the local governments on land issues that may have been influenced by other sector. The constitution does not outline the role of the other players in the planning process of land use and the public may not fully understand why the local authorities are not fully independent in land issues.
In conclusion, it is very evident from the three articles that there are very many players in the land use planning. The above stated participants play different roles hence local authorities are only statutorily given a role as land managers and regulators but they are influenced by very many other groups higher and lower in the political ranks and the general public and other citizen groups. The government develops the social amenities like the subway, the land and the road systems. The private developers create the shopping centers, the industries and the businesses and in that way, interdependence is created.
Reference
Marshall, A. (2000). How cities work: Suburbs, sprawl, and the roads not taken. Austin: University of Texas Press.
